2026-09-06 08:15 UTC
Not surprising they’re up on renewables. The last time I drove through Minnesota it was windmills off into the horizon for many miles.
Replies (1)
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@Kind_to_Everyone@slrpnk.net 2026-09-06 11:51
I assume this was I-90 west of Rochester, which is where most of the wind is sited. Sadly it is nowhere near enough and still only produces 25% of the state’s electrical needs whereas neighboring South Dakota and Iowa are over 50%. Solar and wind have very different potentials in the state. Minnesota is at the Northern terminus of the wind corridor which they take advantage of. However, it is one of the worst states for solar irradiance potential. Sherco solar replaces 2.4 GW base load coal with a planned 910 MW of solar and only 3 GWh of storage. This comes across as insufficient in a snowy winter in a state where conversion to electrical heating is a must.